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iPhone 5s Touch ID - fingerprint identity sensor

It’s no secret that Apple is known for their innovative, cutting-edge products, and the iPhone 5S with the Touch ID will only raise the bar in this ever-changing world of technology. Early this morning Apple released the iPhone 5S equipped with a fingerprint identification sensor, which allows you to unlock your device using your fingerprint! Sounds awesome, right? This new feature, called “Touch ID”, promises to be unlike any other fingerprint scanner that has ever been released on a mobile device, but is it? You better believe that our team of technicians, here at RepairLabs, were of the first in line to test out this product.

Admittedly, our expectations were not the highest, as in any fingerprint scanner, it is often a challenge to get it to continuously read properly. These days, we take our phones with us everywhere and use them for nearly everything—it’s our lifeline! We thought it critical to put the functionality of “Touch ID” to the test. Will it work in less-than-stellar fingerprint conditions? Check out the results we found through our experiments below. Does “Touch ID” hold up in these common fingerprint scenarios?

Touch ID Testing Scenarios

-Clean Finger Print – Yes

-Greasy Finger Print –No

-Oily Test – Yes

-Water Test – No

-Clear Latex Glove – Yes, although it took a few tries.

-Colored Latex Glove – No

-Dirt Test – No

Paint Test – No

Flour Test – Yes

I know what you you’re thinking—how often will your hands be covered in grease, dirt, or paint? For most, the majority of negative results we found won’t make-or-break your decision on purchasing the new iPhone 5S. However, there is one scenario we haven’t mentioned yet, and we think it’s a biggin’. Since cold temperatures are the norm in much of North America, it’s essential that the “Touch ID” feature work in colder conditions. Our team conducted a Cold Weather test and found that in below freezing temperatures, the “Touch ID” feature did not function as it should. Sorry New Yorkers, only after the device was removed from this temperature, for a minimum of two minutes, did the fingerprint sensor begin to work as it should. As we see it, this is a major oversight on Apple’s part, since this may be a huge factor when considering purchasing the iPhone 5S with the Touch ID.

Here at RepairLabs, we like to lean back and take stock of everything that we do throughout the year and our analysis of tech innovations has abounded.. We thought there would be no better time than the last day of the year to remember the most influential tech events of the year, and to think about what they may mean for us next year. Here is the list of our top 10 favorite tech events of the year.

10.) Apple Breaks the Mold with the iPhone 5: Tech Innovation.

Apple abandons their near-religious devotion to the 4-inch iPhone screen format in favor of a 5-inch screen. Apple chose to go with totally expanded device (pictured on the right) rather than just expanding the screen. Ahhhhhh real –estate.

What this means for 2013: With Apple finally willing to innovate again, rather than rigidly sticking to a (now) arbitrary design, we can expect great changes to come: NFC chips, wireless charging, waterproofing, and better cameras could all be in the works.

9.) The Second Screen Experience Emerges, Read: the Will U. Tech changes again.

The way that we interact with technology is changing, now we’re more likely than ever to bemulti-tasking and using multiple screens. We’ll watch TV and surf the web, or play a game on our smartphone and keep one eye on social media on a tablet as well. Enter new devices such as the Wii U, a tablet/remote control to augment what’s happening on our screens. This screen device can be used as a controller or as a supplementary piece, think DVD on TV, except all the extra info is on your Will U.

What this means for 2013: Your tablet is gonna become the supplementary device to your TV. Conan’s doing it already with Team Coco for the iPhone, and there are just going to be more and more shows, movies and games jumping on the bandwagon. Expect a mild case of information overload around June.

So what is a light field camera? Lytro is. And? It lets you focus anywhere, even after the picture has been taken. It’s essentially a camera that focuses on everything. Word is that Toshiba is now developing a lens with this capacity that’s approaching being able to fit into the slim profile of the iPhone. So between Toshiba and Apple, Lytro may be able to put this technology into your smartphone. Though the technology is not perfect just yet, it has endless potential to change the way we photograph with our phones.

What this means for 2013: Expect the camera phone competition to get HOT. Really really hot. And the democratization of photography: everybody will be able to take beautiful photos, with just your phone.

How about a nifty little attachment for your iPhone or iPad that allows you to accept credit cards? How about doing business anywhere you can get a WiFi signal or cellular connection? Though introduced in 2010, the Square card reader has grown in 2012 and allowed businesses to take their credit card payments anywhere. And it’s not just for craft fairs any more. Think food trucks and mobile diagnostic centers, just to name a couple. Square brings payments to the common folk with a 2.75% charge per swipe with no additional fees or prohibitive overhead in costs or setup. Business owners can simply sign up and the Square Reader is free.

What this means for 2013: Maybe your barber will come to you, or you can have your Thin Mints the second the Girl Scouts come around, if their Scout Mom happens to have a Square reader on her phone. Square giftcards are also up and coming in the future, along with Square Wallet, an app which purports to replace and upgrade your traditional physical wallet, cash, and credit card system.

6.)Microsoft Debuts the Surface—the Next Game Changer?

The Microsoft Surface was what the world was waiting for: a PC/ Windows compatible tablet. It also fused the purposes of the laptop computer (mostly work) and the touch tablet (mostly play) into one neat, clicky, keyboardy, kickstandy little package. Offering a competitive price point, size, weight, portability, hard drives, keyboard AND touch screens, and Wifi connectivity, it seems to beautifully marry purposes of the ultrabook and the tablet.

What this means for 2013: Though the Surface’s OS, Windows 8, has debuted to much criticism, expect this device to only grow in popularty as it will feature full Office functionality. Business travelers, rejoice!

5.) Instagram and Facebook Decide to Drive off the Cliff—Together.

image from http://www.techzek.com/facebook-acquires-instagram-for-1b-cash-stocks/

Just like Thelma and Louise. We guess they’ve never heard the expression “Dance with the one one that brought you,” because both organizations seem to be forgetting the root cause of their success: their users. Both have disregarded the needs and wants of their users in favor of seemingly endless tweaks and policy changes designed to enhance profitability. We have no beef with making a profit (we all aspire to be profitable) – but not at the expense of the users. Every little tweak seems to a little piece of the joy out of using the thing and adds to the complexity of life. Take FB’s IPO and Timeline updates, and Instagram’s disasterously bad (in the PR world at least) acquisition by Facebook: neither designed to enhance user experience.

What to expect in 2013: Users are a fickle bunch, who won’t fail to punish hubris in companies. We wouldn’t be surprised if the new MySpace experienced a resurgence, along with social aggregator services that blend all of your profiles into one feed. Also Facebook might just shock us all and revolutionize web advertising and develop its own Pandora-like add free subscription option. What we hope this means: social will pivot back to focusing on the users and take a tip or two from Twitter, who manages not to ruin the user experience with ads, and still runs promoted stories.

4.) SOPA and PIPA are stopped.

image from (http://pocketfullofapps.com/2012/01/18/sopa-and-pocketfullofapps.html)

By angry kids with internet connections, and Vendetta masks. And hundreds of legit site owners who took their sites dark in protest. SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act, and PIPA, Protect IP Act, would have served to censor the internet, under vague pretenses of preventing intellectual theft.

The public spoke out, and refused to allow media companies to use legislation to cudgel their way out of what really amounts to a business model problem, that can be addressed through innovations like Spotify and Netflix. Though hardly innocuous, Anonymous does use their network to preserve online freedom, and the bills are stopped, for now.

What this means for 2013: With acts such as these being stopped, and innovations like the $40 Aakash tablet, information becomes more free. Affordable tablets being air- dropped over no-no zones like North Korea and Kenya in much the same way as the Allied Berlin chocolate bar drop. Education expands exponentially, people solve their own problems, and the world becomes a better place. Censorship is dying. Also: You can’t beat the Geeks. Ever.

3.) 7-inch Tablets Take Over.

Steve Jobs (the apotheosis of geek and ultimate arbiter of things tech, in the eyes of many) was wrong. He believed that the 7-inch tablet size was the red-headed step child of the tablet market, too small to be really useful, and too large to be really portable. However with the advent of the Kindle Fire, the Nexus 7, and now, in the absence of Jobs, the iPad mini, this sizing format has experienced a remarkable boom. Portability plusphenomenal pixel displays plus affordability make these the personal devices to have.

What this means for 2013: Everybody and their grandma is going to have one of these cute little tablets, in a pocket, a purse, or on the plane, and companies will find more and more uses for them. Expect to be able to use tablets for anything you can dream up.

2.) 3D Printers Become a Real Thing.

Gone are the days of Star Trek Replicators (“Tea, Earl Grey, hot”) being sheer science fiction. Though a 3D printer can’t make you a cup of tea from thin air (YET), they can carve objects from Styrofoam and plastics. The products are usually smaller than a breadbox, but they’re only limited by your imagination and by your 3D computer modeling skills. Commonly printed items now include jewelry, sculpture and even working guns (though they tend to only be good for a few shots, dangerous and inaccurate.) Heck, now you can even build your own 3D printer out of Leggos.

What this means for 2013: your imagination is the only limit. Do-it-yourselfers will reign supreme, and will be making startups, innovations, and all the money, IF they can keep the lawyers out of their hair.

1.) NASA Lands the Rover on Mars.

On August 5, 2012 NASA did the impossible and safely landed an exploration vehicle, the Curiosity, on Mars to cheers of triumph at Mission Control. Despite budget slashes, and Space Shuttle retirements, NASA still managed to triumph over adversity and innovate a one-in-a-million safe landing on a planet millions of miles away from our own. It would have taken a person over a year to get to the Red Planet, and once there, ostensibly, he would have no way to return. But our virtual presence there has already even uncovered evidence of organic matter.

What this means for 2013: things are going to start happening virtually. Patients will be able to make a virtual visit to their doctor’s office, Skyping with the doc, or IMing him photos of that spider bite. Unmanned vehicles and even tiny drones will be taking care of our recon for us. We’ll send image-transmitting submarines into heretofore unknown depths of the oceans! We may finally get that elusive photo of Bigfoot! More people will work from home! The possibilities are endless.

So what have we garnered from all of these events combined for 2012? The internet, and the way we use it is changing. The more personally we can use our devices, the more we can connect with others, and the more we can learn. The more we share and learn, the greater the trend of democratization around the globe. We can reach heights never before imagined, through collaboration, as we did with Rover. Then we can tweet about it sarcastically! 2012 was one heckuva year for tech events and innovations, and 2013 is likely to send our heads spinning even more.

The Top Tech Gifts for Every Type

There are great tech gifts out there for every type of person you can imagine. Here at RepairLabs.com, we thought we’d make out a list of our favorites for your approval just in time for Cyber Monday. If you're sick of the same old gift ideas, you've come to the right place. Everybody knows an iPad mini or a Nexus 7 tablet would be an awesome gift. But sometimes that's just not the right gift, the perfect gift, the magical rainbow unicorn of gifts. Actually a tablet is a pretty personal choice. Instead give them a tech gift that they're certain to love, no matter what type of person they are. Here's where you can get your creative juices revving: you’ll find gifts from $8.00 - $800, and something that certain to tickle the techie fancy of someone you love. We’re sure you’ll find an idea that you love.

Dad:

If the car doesn’t have luggage racks, this is an ingenious solution. Inflatables! Now dad can haul nearly anything up top. Universal roof rack $89.99. Buy it here.

For the girl who has everything? Give her something no one else has. Custom Cemented iPhone Jewels in Subtle Sparkle. $103 US dollars, but she’s gotta send in her phone across the pond, for this perfect tech gift. http://www.crystalskins.co.uk/atelier.html

Motorhead

The easy answer when your favorite gearhead and motor-er gets a flat: Slime Safety Spair:$38 this special sealant will get them safely to somewhere they can replace a flat tire, in only 7 minutes!

Whether he’s getting ready for the zombie apocalypse, or just likes to keep his device with him out in the wild, this kinetic device charger: http://www.npowerpeg.com/ is the perfect find. $199.95

Health Nut :

They need to blend up their smoothie on the run? This blender actually attaches to the bottle, so they can grab and go. My Blend Bottle Blender. http://www.oster.com/myblend/ $29.99

Foodie

Save time and energy measuring and weighing with this little doodad. Digital Spoon Measure - the link to buy is at the bottom - $25.85

Pet

Let your lil sweetie get a cool drink whenever he wants with a Doggie water fountain: $79.50. It senses when your pet comes up to it, so he can always have fresh water. Really great for labs who love to drink from the hose!

Jock

Jawbone UP activity tracking wristband. Works with your smartphone to track sleep cycles and activity levels and goals 129.99 https://jawbone.com/up

Belieber

Heart iPhone earbud splitter. Because where there’s one Belieber there is always another. And they need to be able to share the beats too. $18

The elite scientific RepairLabs team had so much fun testing tablet displays under the microscope that they decided to test some non-Apple (Android) devices for pixel density as well: the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7. Our last excursion under the microscope was such a hit we thought we’d check out a couple more devices.

Though in our last post we didn’t find the iPad mini’s display to be terribly offensive in comparison with the Retina Display of the 4th generation iPad, it has been a major disappointment to some. And when the Android devices of the same size are available at much better prices, with far superior display specs, the average consumer faces a problem. John Brownlee sums up the problem in his review of the iPad mini for Cult of Mac,

“It’s maddening. Why did Apple release the iPad mini with a screen this terrible, especially when it’s competing with devices like the Kindle Paperwhite, the Kindle Fire 7 and the Galaxy 7 that aren’t just much cheaper but have displays that are so much superior for reading text?”

In his article, Brownlee also calls out “optical fatigue” and text display as the major problems plaguing the iPad mini’s display. Granted, the display is less impressive, with iPad mini’s pixels roughly 1/3 larger than those of the iPad 4th generation. But is it enough to be a deal-breaker when you’re deciding which 7-inch tablet you should buy? We put the three little tablets under the microscope to find out for ourselves whether there was really a difference.

Nexus 7 vs. iPad mini

The pixels of the Nexus 7 are noticeably smaller

Let’s talk pixels per inch (ppi). The iPad mini has 163 pixels per inch, while the Nexus 7 clocks at 216. There’s a marked difference between the two, though the screen sizes are very similar, in that magic 7-inch range. And it bears out under the microscope. The two contrast starkly.

Kindle Fire HD vs iPad Mini

A similar result to the Nexus 7...but could it be better?

Another 7 inch tablet facing down the iPad mini. The Kindle Fire HD far outperforms the iPad mini’s display in terms of pixel density. This time the Kindle Fire HD has 254ppi, and of course the mini’s resolution remains the same at 163ppi, and the story’s the same as with the Nexus 7 under the microscope.

Kindle Fire HD v Nexus 7

These 2 look mighty similar, but look close, the Fire's pixels are a teeny bit smaller.

Testing the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7 side by side under the microscope shows that they’re nearly identical. The Kindle Fire HD is indeed technically larger at 254 ppi, and the Nexus 7 has 216 ppi, or pixels per inch. Under the microscope, though, they look pretty identical.

Surprisingly similar: Kindle Fire HD at 254ppi and the Retina Display at 264ppi

Here’s the real kicker. Our blue ribbon winner for pixel size and density is the Kindle Fire HD. If you were paying attention to ppi from above, with 254 pixels per inch, it’s barely distinguishable from the drool-worthy iPad Retina Display of the 3rd and 4th gen iPads. That’s right, kids. Kindle Fire HD has a WAY better display and is $130 cheaper than then iPad mini. However, the Nexus 7 isn’t far behind at 216ppi.

Conclusion

Granted, there are loads of other factors to consider in addition to simple pixel density to determine just how good a screen is. You must take into account viewing angle, color saturation, screen reflectance, color gamut, contrast and the depth at which the images seem to land on the glass of the displays. Some of these are intangibles are not easy to quantify or measure. But out of sheer pixel density and viewed up close, we can see a clear winner: for 7-inch tablets Kindle Fire HD is the best in display and price.

Here at RepairLabs.com, we thought we’d have some fun with the new iPad, iPad mini, and the microscope. With the long-awaited iPad mini going on sale today and with some of the rumors and hearsay flying about regarding its screen resolution, we thought we’d put all of the iPad generations under the microscope to see what’s really going on with the different display resolutions. People are worried that once they have the Retina Display on other devices they’ll be spoiled and be unhappy with the iPad mini. And they may have a point. Anecdotes abound of people giving up their lightweight and portable notebook computers in favor of the beautiful Retina display:

We, as a screen consuming culture, thanks to Retina display, have come to recognize jaggies: those little jagged edges that the human eye can perceive on fonts and pictures where the individual pixels are visible, even if only just slightly, or if you have your nose to the screen. And the real kicker is that once you start seeing pixels and jaggies, you can't stop. I’m seeing them now, typing.

To illustrate the pixel difference though, presents a bit of a problem. Most of us still use screens that aren’t Retina Display, so showing you a picture from a Retina screen versus one from a standard screen will give you the same results. Jaggies. So how can we illustrate and test the actual difference that you will see? We zoom in as close as we can go. In fact we’ve zoomed in to the actual pixels of each of the iPad screens to give you an idea of what you’ll be looking at.

Under our 150 times zoom microscope, you’ll see each block of Red, Blue, and Green (a square of RGB, 3 blocks). Each of these three block are equal to one pixel. The difference in displays is due in part to how many of each of these tiny blocks Apple can squeeze into one inch, or pixels per inch (ppi). (The other part are some very tricky and clever innovations on Apple’s part of how the screen actually functions.) We’ve compared the Retina Display with each of the previous iterations of the iPad along with the new mini in order to give you an idea of what the difference between them is.

iPad 1st Gen vs iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen)

Here is our most dramatic example. You can see that the pixels of the iPad 1st Gen are nearly double the size of the 4th with Retina Display. For every one grouping of the RGB block on the 1st Gen, you can see that 6 blocks of color (2 RGB groupings) fit into the same space. What does this add up to? Pixel density. The Retina Display packs more pixels in every punch.

iPad 2nd Gen vs iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen)

Just check out the difference in pixel size!

Again in this instance we can see that the iPad with Retina far out preforms the iPad 2nd Gen. The displays on this device and the iPad 1st Gen are basically the same: 132 ppi. On the iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen) the pixels per inch are again 264. It’s literally double the amount of pixels than the earlier versions.

iPad (3rd Gen) with Retina and iPad (4th Gen) with Retina.

Same size. Surprise.

The much-maligned and befuddling 3rd Gen stopgap iPad is not all bad. Hated due to its inferior power and how quickly it became obsolete in in the wake of the 4th Gen announcement, it’s no slouch when it comes to display. In fact the displays of the two are identical, with identical resolutions of 2048 x 1536. (The difference you see between these two pictured is that the 3rd Gen screen is displayed upside-down. Just to keep you on your toes.) At exactly the same magnification, the displays are identical.

iPad mini vs 4th Gen.

At this point it looks like a major, deal-breaking difference, but wait...!

The iPad mini is where things get interesting. Its smaller size necessitates a few sacrifices, and the Retina Display (at this point) simply cannot be made to fit the new small chassis, so to speak. But lo! The difference between the iPad 4th Gen and the iPad mini is not that huge when examined under the microscope. In fact, the pixels of the Retina Display are only 2/3 the size of the iPad mini. In the older iterations, the pixels of the 4th Gen are ½ the size of the older versions, or .50. Here, they’re a full 16% (.16, since the 4th Gen’s pixels are 1/3 or .66 of the size of the mini) larger in comparison. This means the difference between the two, is less noticeable. In fact, to the naked eye, it’s negligible. Why is this? Since it’s a smaller screen, the pixels are packed much more densely.

iPad mini pixel size breakdown, compared with Retina Display

BONUS: iPad mini vs. 2nd Gen

A surprising difference here! Left: iPad mini. Right iPad 2nd Gen.

But if you buy and iPad mini, are you going to be sad that you don’t have the glorious Retina display?

So the question remains. Which device is the best to purchase, based solely on displays? If price point is your major consideration, you’ll be choosing between the iPad mini, which costs $329, and the iPad 2nd Generation, a larger size for $399, but without Retina Display. In theory, these displays should be basically equivalent.

But when viewed under the microscope, you can see that the pixels of the mini are much smaller, it looks a little over half the size of the 2nd Gen (it measures in 81% of the 2nd Gen’s 132 ppi, to be exact). The mini boasts 163 ppi, more than the 1st and 2nd generation iPads. The pixels are packed much more densely into a smaller screen.

“No, this isn't Retina, but maintaining the same resolution as a 10-inch display shrunken down to 7.9 means a necessary boost in pixel density: 163ppi,”

In Conclusion:

“When Apple talks about a Retina display it's not referring to a worldwide standard or a set of specifications. It's actually just a marketing term, and it simply means that the screen has sufficient pixel density, so that when you look at it normally, you can't make out all the individual pixels.”

We must remember that viewing distance is always a factor, and what looks pixelated at 2 inches from your nose won’t look pixelated 15 inches away. So between all these devices it’s generally agreed that Apple has mastered the art of creating a beautiful screen. What’s the difference between devices? Much smaller pixels, packed much more densely into an area. That’s basically what you’re getting when you’re paying for Retina Display. And many will swear up and down that it’s TOTALLY WORTH IT. After all, Retina Display boasts as many as 3.1 million pixels, better than an HDTV.

"Clash of the iPhones" LTE Speed Test

So is the LTE speed of the iPhone 5 really worth it?www.repairlabs.com/, the experts in mobile device repair decided to test whether the iPhone 5 LTE speed will really measure up to all the Apple hype, in a head-to-head match up between the iPhone 4S and 5 for LTE speed. We think you may be surprised with some of the results. Check out our fun video to see the beast in action.

The iPhone 4S, weighs in at 4.9 ounces and measures up at a cool 4.5 inches. The newcomer iPhone 5 weighs in at 3.95 ounces, but carries the height advantage at a tall 4.9 inches. We made sure to level the playing field: both devices had 3 bars of service and both run iOS 6. *Video correction: In the video we say 4 bars but we actually only had 3.

ROUND 1: LTE Speed Test App.

We installed the nifty Speed Test.net app on each phone, just to check it's "dashboard." The mobile connection speed (megabytes per second) revved up to a 10 on the iPhone 5 while the 4S hovered around 2 to 3. Download and upload times on iPhone 5 smoked the 4S at 6.04 mb/second upload on the 4S to .32mb/second upload on the 5. Download times: 4S at 12.63 mb/second, and iPhone 5 at .98 mb/second.

ROUND 2: Siri response time in LTE speed.

We asked Siri two questions, and in these two instances, Siri preformed almost identically.

Siri, who won the Panthers vs Giants game last night?

Siri, How many career knockouts did Muhammed Ali have?

ROUND 3: LTE Speed for Launching Maps Directions.

A simple request: Get us from Wichita, KS to Madison Square Garden in NYC. The iPhone 5 LTE clearly bested 4S in this instance loading faster and getting us started on our turn-by-turn navigation.

ROUND 4: lte speed for downloading and installing an app: YouTube

The new iOS6 doesn't come standard with YouTube, so we thought that was the perfect app to test app download speeds on apps. iPhone 5 LTE pummeled the 4S in this instance, downloading and installing in under 15 seconds while the 4S took around 2 minutes and 10 seconds to fully load.

ROUND 5: YouTube video download LTE speed and quality, vs 4S 3G.

And since we had YouTube, we thought we should test it with a video download and play. We played a montage of Ali's greatest knockouts and noticed the 5 loaded faster and played with better quality.

LTE Speed Comparison Conclusion.

So, what have we learned?

The phone processing speeds of the 2 phones are basically the same, but the network performance is vastly different between the 2 networks. It’s up to you to decide whether the new features of the phone are worth the extra $200 for a new phone.In our opinion the main reason it would be really worth your money to pay for the 5 is because you can get those screaming LTE speeds and service.

"Overall speed for the iPhone 5 LTE is incredible; it kicks the circuits out of the iPhone 4S," says Jason Draper, resident Apple Certified Mac Technician. Even at only 3 bars, the LTE speed of the iPhone 5 blows away the 4S on 3G. For LTE speed the iPhone 5 is the winner hands down.

Exclusive Images, High Definition iPhone 5

RepairLabs has done it again: we're bringing you new exclusive images. From the folks responsible for bringing you the latest in iPhone secret photos, we’ve gotten new images. We have just received EXCLUSIVE high-definition images of the soon-to-be-released iPhone 5 front glass assembly. So what about the changes? Let’s talk about them!

Conclusions we can draw from these exclusive images

With these photos we can confirm:

Apple has redone the whole front Digitizer and LCD Assembly of the device. We see 3 flex cables. The first seems to be the proximity ear speaker, and the front camera. The last two probably LCD and Digitizer.

The ratio suggests that it is indeed the long-rumored bigger screen.

The camera is in the front middle of the ear speaker, not on the side of the ear speaker anymore.

It looks like it has a black ear speaker mesh right now.

We can also see the home button is going to have more support; it’s backed by a metal bracket. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be supported anymore by prongs or a push cable. It may actually be a combination of both.

It looks like it has a plastic 3GS-type midframe running around the digitizer and glass LCD assembly.

The metal brackets suggest that it will be sitting into a housing, similar to a 3GS, but more updated and modern.

From the width of the bracket, we can tell the charger port is indeed going to be smaller because it has to fit between the two silver bottom screw brackets, just like a 3GS.

These pictures suggest that the LCD may pull apart from the Digitizer, given the rivets on the sides. (This is similar again to the 3GS, but a departure from the 4 and 4S.)

We notice a striking similarity to a 3GS, with the bottom screws and brackets. We think it’s going to pull open from the front.

So, could this be the iPhone 5 real deal? We think so, and we believe these exclusive photos prove a lot of what the tech world has been suspecting all along in regards to the new iPhone 5. Could Apple be going back to the old faithful model of the iPhone 3Gs? It looks probable. From the leader in iPhone repair services, exclusive images of the iPhone 5, and Apple hardware components, remember you heard it here first. Check out www.fix-iPhones.com for a full list of all of our services and our great blog, and new exclusive images.

Yoda sends his broken gaming consoles to Repairlabs.com….using the Force!

How embarrssing. How embarrassing.

We understand the abject agony of a broken gaming console.

Did you know that we can fix broken gaming consoles? We fix Xboxes, PS3, PSP, PSP Vitas, Wii, Nintendo DS and many more! We can even fix the RED RING of DEATH on Xbox and Playstation. We can replace drives. We can even fix your Wii if you accidentally throw a controller at it. Pour a soda over your console? We fix that too. We can restore gaming consoles with moisture damage and corrosion (from Mountain Dew, beer, etc, etc). Not to brag, we even fix broken controllers. We change CD ROM drives, pull stuck disks, clean them, and even blow out all the dust. You’d be surprised how dusty those things get. We can even fix broken Beats Headphones. Yes, you heard us right. That was because your Beats Phones are broken.

Yes, you could buy a new one. But then again, the next gen of it is coming out in only 14 months... Maybe you should just upgrade. But you still have to wait those pesky 14 months, with no gaming system. NOT AN OPTION. Trust us, it’s cheaper and faster to get it fixed.

Yoda can get back to playing Madden faster than a pod racer through the Lars Homestead Dome, since we fixed his broken gaming console. This is why Yoda loves us.

“Lost a planet, Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing. How embarrassing.”

--Yoda, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

“Broken an Xbox, Master Guns4Hire84 has. How embarrassing. How embarrassing.”

Bet you just read that in Yoda Voice, huh?

So remember, young Jedi Knights and scoundrels everywhere (or in a Galaxy Far Far Away), we fix everything. Send your broken gaming console in to us.

What Dad Really Wants This Year on Father's Day

We’ve compiled a list of the Coolest Gifts for Dads this year. We asked all the dads at RepairLabs what’s on their wish list for this Father’s Day, and here are some of the ideas that they gave us.

DIY Gadget Card - Free

Dads love things you made for them. Even if you're 30.

A fantastic tutorial and a really creative idea for a card for dad that you can make yourself, with the kids. Look inside each of the “apps” to find a cute personalized message. From Charlottes Fancy.com

A Gadget Grip Mat - $11

The things he'll stick to this are limited only by his imagination.

Grippy Pad holds all sorts of things in place with an advanced silicone material. (I.e., stolen from aliens.)

BioLite CampStove- $129

Roast marshmallows and charge iPhone.

This little beauty also charges devices. If Dad’s a camper, this will be on his list. (It’s good to keep a phone around even when you’re unplugging-- in case of emergencies.)

Mouse Armrest -$30

Repetitive stress injuries are a real concern!

This is anergonomic attachment for Dad’s office chair or desk. It will help reduce the possibiltes of bad posture and repetitive stress injuries from using a mouse.

We think it would be relatively simple to take some posterboard and an iPhone and shoot this picture on a sunny afternoon. If my calculations are correct, the kids need to hold the signs upside down. You stand facing them. Print it on photo stock pop it in a frame for his desk at work ~and best part, it’s Dad’s favorite gift of all. Laurie, the fantastic blogger at Tip Junkie , provided this great picture, but was unable to find the source of this beautiful image.